Eris Miller

Eris Miller is a high school student who now roams the stars as a crew member of the Nonconformity. Her boyfriend is Varrin Gara'dar and her best friend is Miguri Ma'ak'tilli. She is the protagonist of Imminent Danger And How to Fly Straight into It.

Early Life
Eris was born to Karen Miller and an unknown father. Her father left the family when she was seven. Growing up, Eris was a good student and was eventually accepted into the Barlow Collegiate Institute. She was roommates with Lisa, Mallory and Janice, but did not get along with them. Eris had very few friends at Barlow Collegiate, and her only close relationship was with her mother.

Kidnapping
While walking to class, Eris was abducted by a mysterious race of blue aliens she eventually came to know as the Ssrisk. She was kept in solitary confinement for a period, and was eventually released to meet the captain. Eris was then introduced to the intimidating Captain Hroshk. She was terrified by Hroshk when he licked her face upon greeting her, and received a lamri that let her understand his words. After returning to her cell, Eris used her lamri to communicate with Grashk, one of her guards. She learned that she was bound for the Sirius star system, where she would be sold into the slave market and traded to a Vekroni agent.

Now able to communicate with extraterrestrials, Eris was allowed to explore the Ssrisk ship. She soon met the only other surviving captive, a Claktill named Miguri. Their relationship got off to a rocky start due to Miguri mistaking Eris for a Rakorsian and Eris' lamri not being attuned to the Claktill language. Once Grashk attuned Eris' lamri, Eris and Miguri introduced themselves. Miguri revealed his history to Eris, and the two began to bond. Their friendship was interrupted when the Ssrisk ship Pulled for the first time, enabling the ship to reach the Sirius system quicker. Eris found the experience very jarring. Over the next few hours, Eris also formed a fragile bond with Grashk, who would sometimes assist her with understanding her new world... though often reluctantly.

Eris and Miguri were later brought before Captain Hroshk again. When Miguri showed fear at their impending fate, Hroshk had him electrocuted, amidst Eris' protests. When Hroshk ordered Eris electrocuted as well, Grashk intervened and protected her from Tarsis, another of Eris' guards. Grashk dismissed the rescue by claiming that the captain only ordered punishments for cowardly prisoners, which Eris wasn't. He ignored her thanks. Eris returned to her cell with Miguri, where she helped nurse him back to health while he told her stories of Claktilla.

Time with Varrin
The friends were interrupted by a shaking noise that rocked the ship. Eris and Miguri escaped their cells and saw that a paralysis gas had been released, which paralyzed all Ssrisk on board. They were intercepted by a helmeted raider, who pointed a striker at them and forced them to come with him. Tarsis intervened and the raider blasted him with the striker. Grashk attacked the group next, and after a prolonged battle with the raider, was knocked out. The raider took Eris and Miguri to his ship, which was attached to the Ssrisk vessel. The raider detatched the ship and they fled the Ssrisk.

Though the Ssrisk chased after the raider's ship, he was able to outmaneuver them. While the raider engaged the ship's lamri, he had Eris use the ship's weapon controls and had Miguri pilot the ship. The raider eventually Pulled, narrowly escaping the Ssrisk. He then revealed himself as a Rakorsian mercenary named Varrin Gara'dar, an IFTAP agent tasked with freeing the Ssrisk prisoners and returning them home. Eris quickly grew to trust Varrin, ignoring Miguri's warnings about trusting a Rakorsian.

The following morning, Eris continued to grow closer to Varrin. She later met up with him while exploring the ship's engine room. Varrin explained more about his ship - the Nonconformity - and his work with IFTAP. Soon afterwards Varrin kissed her. It was her first kiss, and Eris felt her feelings for Varrin begin to grow.

Eris' romance proved short lived. Varrin soon revealed that he had been offered another offer for Eris by a rival organization, Chakra Corporation. He immediately locked Eris and Miguri in their bunks while he headed towards Alpha Centauri and the Chakra Corp buyer. Eris soon learned that she would be sold to Chakra Corp as a lab rat. She was furious with Varrin for betraying her, and regretted having ever trusted him.

Chakra Corp
Three days later, the Nonconformity arrived at Alpha Centauri Prime. Eris and Varrin continued to argue as they neared the planet. Eris and Miguri were led through the crowded marketplace of Alpha Centauri Prime, and were eventually taken to a storefront where they met with the Chakra Corp representative, Alyra. Alyra led the group towards Chakra Corp and Varrin bid Eris an awkward goodbye. She wondered briefly if he was trying to apologize.

Eris and Miguri were driven to Chakra Corp's Research and Development Department. Alyra then handed them off to Doctor T, a Triila who took them to their cells. The following morning Eris briefly tried to escape, but was spotted by Doctor T. It revealed that it was interested in studying humans due to their Rakorsian ancestry. It intended to test drugs on humans to learn their effects on Rakorsians. Eris was taken to another operating room under Dr. Marku, where she was pumped full of painkillers. Dr. Marku announced his intent to remove Eris' brain, and Eris blacked out. When she woke up, she saw that her head had been shaved as well.

Eris spent the next ten days as a test subject at the hands of Chakra Corp. She felt her sanity begin to erode over time and she struggled to keep both her and Miguri's spirits up. One day Miguri revealed his reasons for being exiled from the Claktill - he blew up a Ssrisk vessel that was attacking fellow Claktill. Eris sympathized with her friend, but they were interrupted by a power outage. Eris helped Miguri escape their cells during the brief outage, and they were met by the same member of Chakra Corp who gave them to Doctor T - Alyra.

Alyra revealed that she was an undercover IFTAP agent, and she only gave them to Doctor T as part of an elaborate rescue attempt. Eris fled the Chakra Corp building with Alyra and Miguri, though she was mistrustful of Alyra after her experiences with the Ssrisk and Varrin. Alyra took Eris and Miguri to Gorge City, where they received clearance to depart for Psilos. Eris learned that Alyra had arranged for the prisoners to be transfered to Psilos, but this was a ruse. Miguri would be taken to a Claktill ship once they arrived on Psilos, and Eris would be returned home.

Exploring Vega Minor
Eris and Miguri bonded with Alyra as they headed towards Psilos. As Alyra prepared to Pull from Alpha Centauri, the ship was suddenly rocked. Eris and Miguri were soon surprised by Varrin, who had locked onto Alyra's ship, boarded and knocked her out. Varrin revealed his new allegiance to IGASA and his plan to rescue them from a Chakra Corp representative. Eris tried to explain that Alyra was smuggling them home in secrecy, but Varrin insisted on taking them to Psilos himself, to "liberate them" and ensure he got his finder's fee. Left with no choice, Eris and Miguri left with him.

Eris was furious with Varrin after everything he'd done to her, and grew even angrier after he tried to seduce her again. The following morning she learned that the Nonconformity was not headed to Psilos, but to a place Varrin referred to as "a surprise". They Pulled again and Varrin revealed that they were headed to Vega Minor, a moon known for its beauticians. The group was intercepted by a Scalkan gang, and Varrin defeated the entire gang single handedly. Eris convinced Varrin not to kill the defeated Scalkans, and he surprisingly relented. Eris was then taken to a hairstylist named Madam Zhia. Madam Zhia regrew Eris' hair for her, while entertaining her with stories about Varrin. Eris was thrilled to have her hair back, and she thanked Varrin for it. Their relationship began to improve at that point.

Eris' plans to get home were complicated when it was revealed that Varrin was a wanted criminal, and he'd been spotted on Vega Minor. They decided to lay low on Vega Minor for a while and stay at the Starlight, a well-known hotel. En route they encountered one of the Scalkans from before, who was intent on revenge. He produced a Jsgarn, a ravenous beast that was the natural enemy of the Claktill. Varrin killed the Jsgarn and Scalkan, but his arm was injured by the Jsgarn's poisonous fangs. He collapsed unconscious in Eris' arms.

Eris took charge, and managed to get Varrin and Miguri to the Starlight. She had Varrin taken care of by the Starlight's medical team, and the group checked in while Varrin healed. During their time at the Starlight, Eris posed as Varrin's mistress. She helped Varrin recover from his injury throughout their stay at the Starlight and came to enjoy his company in his drugged state. They began to grow closer, as Eris wondered why she had saved Varrin's life.

Later that week Eris and Varrin were invited to the annual Starlight Ball. Varrin attended under the guise of Aedar Korlethi, and Eris accompanied him as his mistress. At the Starlight Ball Eris befriended a Scalkan named Kraigoth, and began to dance with him. Varrin interrupted and Eris began to argue with him. The fight grew public and Eris returned to their suite, locking Varrin out of the room. The following morning Eris went to talk with him, and they patched up their friendship. They enjoyed the remainder of their stay at the Starlight exploring Vega Minor.

Eris prepared to leave the Starlight with Varrin and Miguri. Before leaving she met Kraigoth again, who offered her a contact device in case she ever needed his help in the future. Eris then learned that Chakra Corp had placed her and Miguri on the Wanted list, to aid in their recapture. Varrin revealed that he couldn't take Eris and Miguri to Psilos because of this, and IFTAP was no longer interested in buying them. Before the group could decide what to do next, they came under attack.

Return to Earth
The attackers were soon revealed to be Rakorsian. Eris learned that Varrin was the exiled prince of Rakor and decided to help him flee the attackers. Eris was then introduced to Admiral Kratis, who had been assigned by the Emperor to bring Varrin home. Varrin initiated a dangerous Pull and the group narrowly escaped. The ship was damaged and the group was in need of a place to hide while Varrin repaired the engines. Eris suggested they hide on earth, since it was protected by the Tetrarchy, but Varrin's ship would go undetected. They Pulled towards Earth, and Eris found herself headed home. As they headed towards Earth, Eris found her feelings for Varrin continue to grow.

When the Nonconformity landed on Earth, Eris left Varrin and Miguri to gather supplies while Varrin repaired the ship. Before gathering the supplies, Eris stopped in at her old dorm room. She met her roommates again, who barely noticed that she had been gone. She then called her mother and was happy to talk to her, but was put off by her overbearing nature. Eris was then contacted by her dean, who wanted an explanation for her disappearance. At the same time Varrin called her, warning her that Kratis was headed towards Earth and he could not contact the Psilosians. He proposed a plan to sneak aboard Kratis' ship and send a message to the Psilosians for help. Reluctant to disappear again, Eris agreed to meet with her dean before returning to help Varrin. She tried to explain to the dean where she had been, but he refused to believe her. At that point Varrin and the Nonconformity appeared outside the window, to tell Eris that Kratis was drawing nearer. Eris abandoned the dean to help stop Kratis, and she left Earth again, uncertain as to how she felt about returning.

Back in Space
Eris and Varrin planned to sneak aboard Kratis' ship to disable his comm interrupter and contact the Psilosians for help. Their plan was complicated when they learned that Captain Hroshk's Ssrisk ship was also in the area, and appeared to have allied with Kratis. While Eris and Varrin headed towards Kratis' ship in an escape pod, Miguri attacked the ship as a decoy. Eris and Varrin snuck aboard the ship, where Eris used a striker for the first time to take out Rakorsian guards. Eris and Varrin then realized that Kratis and Hroshk had turned on each other, and they continued to search for the comm deck. They encountered a group of Skin Slicers, led by Varrin's old bodyguard, Fino'jin. Eris and Varrin surrendered, and were brought before Admiral Kratis.

Kratis gave Varrin two options, to either turn Eris over to the Ssrisk and be imprisoned, or to kill Eris in exchange for his freedom. Eris was certain Varrin wouldn't betray her, but he chose the second option - dooming her in exchange for his freedom. Eris was unaware that Varrin was attempting to save her from a long, painful life as a captive, and she began to hate him again.

Eris was marched away to be executed, but was saved by a team of boarding Ssrisk invaders, led by Grashk and Miguri - Miguri having been captured and forced to assist the Ssrisk. Miguri revealed his and Eris' plan to contact the Psilosians to the Ssrisk, and they formed a temporary alliance. The Ssrisk soldiers got Eris and Miguri to the communications deck, fighting off Rakorsian attacks. When Grashk disabled the comm interrupter, he triggered an alarm, attracting more Rakorsians. Most of the Ssrisk were killed fighting off the attacking Rakorsians, and Grashk was knocked unconscious. Eris and Miguri were captured again, and taken to Execution Room B.

In the execution room, Eris watched as Kratis and Hroshk renewed their tenuous alliance. Kratis agreed to help Hroshk obtain another human captive, and Hroshk agreed to allow Kratis to keep Varrin. Hroshk was then invited aboard the Rakorsian ship to watch Eris' execution. At this point Eris broke down over the experience. Miguri convinced her to accept her fate with her head held high, but at that moment they were rescued again by Varrin. After speaking with Fino'jin he'd had a change of heart, so he arrived to resuce them again.

In the ensuing standoff, Hroshk shot Kratis in a moment of rage. Varrin used his rank of prince to order the Rakorsians in the room to attack Hroshk, while he freed Eris and Miguri. Hroshk killed the Rakorsians and took Eris hostage, demanding Varrin's surrender. Varrin surrendered to the Ssrisk, and Eris realized that he truly cared about her. When Eris begged Varrin not to die for her, Hroshk took the moment to exact revenge on Varrin for attacking his ship. He tried to shoot Eris, and Varrin attacked him. As Hroshk was losing the fight he shot Eris with his striker. He shot her lamri instead, and while Hroshk was distracted fighting Varrin, Eris picked up her striker and shot him in the chest.

Eris, Varrin and Miguri decided to head back to the escape pod, since the Nonconformity was still aboard the Ssrisk cruiser. They brought Grashk with them, as thanks for his help earlier. The pod was gone, but the group was able to take advantage of Grashk's status as commander of the Ssrisk vessel in light of all the superior officers' deaths. They planned to find another ship to board the Ssrisk vessel and rescue the Noncoformity. They were briefly interrupted by Fino'jin, who Varrin defeated with a knock-out disc. After arriving at the Rakorsian docking bay and defeating the guards there, they escaped Kratis' ship. Their victory was interrupted by the Psilosian vessel, which had finally arrived.

Captain Hm'Dala and the Psilosians contacted the Rakorsian ship, and Eris was reunited with Alyra. When she learned that Alyra wouldn't be able to get her home for over a month and Hm'Dala wanted to mind-wipe her so alien life would remain secret, Eris decided to stay with Varrin. Grashk ordered the Ssrisk to attack the Psilosians, giving the group's new ship time to escape. Eris suggested the group hide on the far side of Saturn, so the planet's magnetic fields would skew the Psilosians' sensors. The plan succeeded, and the ship headed back to Earth.

Second Return to Earth
Eris found herself extremely reluctant to bid goodbye to her new friends. After bidding Grashk and Miguri an emotional goodbye, Eris decided to show Varrin part of her old life before saying goodbye to him forever. She introduced Varrin to her roommates and had dinner with him. Afterwards Eris admitted that she wanted to leave Earth with Varrin, but wasn't sure if she could trust him. In response, Varrin proposed.

Eris admitted that she loved Varrin, but she turned down his proposal. He left before she could explain why, and Eris was crushed at the thought of losing him. She fell asleep outside by a tree, and was found by her old roommate Lisa. Lisa suspected that Eris was having boy troubles, and she encouraged her to pursue Varrin. Reinvigorated, Eris decided to return to Varrin's ship. She left a message for her mother telling her not to worry about her and headed back to find Varrin. When she couldn't find the ship she was worried that she'd missed her chance, but Miguri contacted her to inform her that they were still in the clearing.

Eris boarded the ship and repaired her relationship with Varrin. She explained that she wasn't ready to commit to marriage yet, and in response Varrin gave her a Rakorsian promise pendant. He claimed it was an oath that he would be there to marry her whenever she was ready, and Eris and Varrin declared their love for each other. With that, the ship left Earth.

Epilogue
The crew's next goal was to reclaim the Nonconformity from the Psilosians. Eris was happy to return to her life in space, but was discouraged by yet another of Varrin's reckless plans. A news report revealed that Varrin, along with everyone else on board, were still wanted criminals. Miguri noticed the promise pendant that Eris was wearing, and clarified to her its meaning. By accepting the pendant, by Rakorsian customs, Eris was now Varrin's wife. Eris was furious with Varrin... yet again.